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Homesickness
Most people have gotten homesick at some point and it is estimated that 35% of new students experience some homesickness.
 Beginning a new life, like when you start college, brings excitement but also anxiety about the move, the academic work, and meeting new people. Those who experience homesickness might notice an increase in depressed feelings, anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and minor physical ailments. |
Students are not immune just because they have successfully experienced leaving home before and might be surprised when feelings of homesickness hit them. Both leaving familiar things, people and places, and adapting to new things, people, and places can make the transition to college hard but there are ways you can learn to cope.
These include:
- Talking to someone. You can make an appointment at the counseling center, talk to a supervisor, friend from home, a parent or sibling, or anyone that you can open up to about the feelings you are having.
- Stay in contact with the people you left behind, maybe set up a time to go back and see them, but also give yourself time to get involved here at college. Going home every weekend may prevent you from making new friends and actually make your homesickness last longer.
- Encourage your friends and family to come and visit you at your new place.
- Remember that other people are feeling the same way, even if you don’t see them expressing it outwardly.
- Allow yourself to feel sad and homesick; it's ok to miss the things you love. It is also ok to make new friends and enjoy your new environment; you are not being disloyal to those you miss in doing so.
- Establish a balance between work and play. You are not expected to work all the time but make sure you are putting enough time in to your work that you don’t get behind (being behind in your work can add a lot of stress).
- Remember to eat well and to get enough sleep.
- Join a club or organization on campus.
- Give yourself time to adjust.
- Make sure that you do really want to be at this college and studying this subject at this time in your life. Most people can make it through homesickness and really enjoy their time at college but for others it may right to leave and take another direction. Those who leave usually go on to find a university at which they are happy but if you are thinking in this way make sure you talk to someone who can help. Your academic advisor, RA, and the Counseling Center are all happy to help.
- If you stop being able to do normal social and academic activities, seek professional help from Student Health Services or the Counseling Center.
To make an appointment at either the Counseling Center or Health Services you can stop by their offices on the first floor of Jonsson Tower or call (Counseling)-580-5555, (Health Services)-580-5550 to set up an appointment.
